Originally Posted by wneumann
I got one of the RLE 1.8s, which was in my price range at the time, a heck a bang for the buck, and (for me at least) a better feeling ride than the Trek 1000 and Giant OCRs which were in the same price neighborhood.
So far, the only complaints I have about it are with the Hutchinson tires which have zero defense against the goatheads that are everywhere here (though I guess shipping with gatorskins or armadillos is a bit silly though); the handlebars, which I swapped out for a pair of mustache bars (and a shorter stem); and for some reason, a couple of the cables came without crimp-caps on the ends (grabbed a couple at my lbs and popped em on myself). I also swapped out the saddle, which it wasn't too bad -- I just didn't think it was quite right for a 50 mile ride, and I swapped the pedals for a set of SPD-SLs and so I could eventually move the SPDs to my old warhorse Univega.
So what's the word on the Caddy AV8? I've got to say, I'm quite intrigued by a bike with a backrest...
Glad you like your RLE. It is a nice package for the price.
I have sold quite a few of the AV8 and everyone seems to be very happy with it. It is more of a leisure bike than a commuter. The Sturmey Archer 8 speed hub makes it quite versatile though. I sold one to a lady who uses it as her sole form of transport and even fabricated a means of mounting a heavy duty rear rack to it with side baskets for grocery shopping.
As for the back rest, when people ask me about it, I have to be honest and say that the only function it really serves is to grab your attention. It is not very adjustable, and unless you have an unusually large caboose, you're not going to come any where near contacting it. It does catch a lot of attention though.
Dan Burkhart
www.boomerbicycle.ca